As a new year approaches, many of us feel a deep longing for a true fresh start—not just a change in circumstances, but a real release from the past. In this sermon, given on December 28, we explore a powerful and often overlooked teaching from A Course in Miracles: how entering the holy instant can give birth to a year of genuine joy and freedom.

Drawing from the final sections of Chapter 15, this talk reframes Christmas and the New Year as the "time of Christ"—a time not only for reflection, but for profound inner change. At the heart of this change is a radical idea: that freedom comes from releasing others from our hidden demands for sacrifice.

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Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible.

Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world.

• You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/
  
  

• Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/
  
  

To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email info@circleofa.org.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate.

*Amazon affiliate links

In this conversation about Jesus's First Instructions on How to Live A Course in Miracles, Robert and Emily go back to the earliest days of the dictation of A Course in Miracles, when Jesus was first speaking to Helen Schucman and laying out—right from the start—how this Course was meant to be lived. The night before Helen heard the words, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes," and in the weeks immediately afterward, Jesus gave direct guidance. He described what to do, how to approach this path, and how to live it—before the Course even fully took shape.

In this episode you'll hear:

• What Jesus said to Helen and Bill in the earliest dictation

• How those instructions frame the entire Course

• Why the beginning matters for how the Course is lived today

If you've ever wondered whether there's something essential in the way the Course was introduced—something that still matters for students now—this conversation is for you.

✨ Continue the Journey with Course Companions

If this teaching resonated and you feel called to truly live A Course in Miracles in the new year, we invite you to join Course Companions.

Course Companions is our guided membership designed to support a year of living the Course, with:

• Ongoing teachings from Robert & Emily Perry
• Structured spiritual practice and application
• A supportive, miracle-minded community

👉 Learn more and join here: coursecompanions.com

___________________________

Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible.

Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world.

• You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/
  
  

• Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/
  
  

To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email info@circleofa.org.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate.

*Amazon affiliate links

A Course in Miracles invites us to imagine a year unlike any we've lived before—one devoted to genuine spiritual change. In this webinar, Robert Perry explores five Course teachings about the new year and what it means to, as the Course says, "make this year different." Together, these teachings offer a clear and practical vision for dedicating the year to higher goals—and for actually living them.

✨ Continue the Journey with Course Companions

If this teaching resonated and you feel called to truly live A Course in Miracles in the new year, we invite you to join Course Companions.

Course Companions is our guided membership designed to support a year of living the Course, with:

• Ongoing teachings from Robert & Emily Perry
• Structured spiritual practice and application
• A supportive, miracle-minded community

👉 Learn more and join here: coursecompanions.com

___________________________

Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible.

Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world.

• You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/
  

• Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/
  

To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email info@circleofa.org.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate.

*Amazon affiliate links